Arrangement of trunk lock and license plate on motor vehicles



FLACKE ARRANGEMENT OF' vTRUNK LOCK AND LICENSE PLATE ON MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Aug. 3, 1948 Nov. 113, WSE

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 13., 1951 ARRANGEMENT oF TRUNK Loox AND LI- CENSE PLATE oN Mo'ronvEmcLEs y Henry C. Flackc, Detroit, Mich., assignor to The Budd Company, Philadelphia... 12m-,jv a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 3, 1948, Serial No. 42,2018

VThe invention relates to an arrangement of lock and license plate on a lid forming part of the outer wall of a motor vehicle.

The invention achieves protection of the lock against damage, dirt and water, a smooth, streamlined exterior of the body, and 4Va simple, easily manufactured construction by arranging the actuating part ,of the lock in a compartment formed on the lid which is closed by a removably supported license plate or a holder therefor.

An embodiment of the invention as applied to a trunk lid at the rear of a passenger automobile, is illustrated in the attached drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic rear elevation of an automobile; Y

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section along line 2 2 of Figure l, on a larger scale; and Y Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation, on a somewhat larger scale, of the body shown in Figure 1 in the region of lock and license plate, showing the latter in raised position.

In the illustrated embodiment, the invention is applied to the trunk lid at the rear end of a passenger automobile. It is, however, applicable to lids forming part of the motor compartment or being arranged in other regions of a body, for instance, at the front end thereof.

The lid 5 constitutes the outer surface of an automobile body and closes an opening defined by the rear quarter panels 6, the rearwardly sloping marginal portion I of the roof and a transverse underframe member 8. As customary, this lid 5 comprises an outer panel 9 and an inner structure or panel III. the latter secured by marginal frameforming flanges II to the margin of the outer panel 9 in the region of an overlap I2.

An outwardly open recess or compartment I3 is formed by a depression of the outer panel 9 near the middle of the car and close to the lower margin of the lid 5. The inner panel is correspondingly recessed at I4. The Walls of the two recesses I3, I 4 may overlap each other in part and may be secured together in the overlapping regions, preferably by electric spot Welding.

The actuating means of a lock (not shown) for holding the lid 5 in closed position, which in the illustrated embodiment comprise a handle I5 and a key operated mechanism I6, is arranged in the recess I3. The lock mechanism proper is preferably secured to the inside of the lid at II and may be of any customary design.

A housing I8 is secured along its top and side margins at I9 to the outer surface of panel 9 above the recess I3 and is formed so that its transverse wall 2D is streamlined into the adjoin- 4 Claims. (Cl. 296-1) ing surface of panel 9 and so that it is open along its underside.

A plate 2I is secured swingably about a horizontal transverse axis at 22 to the side walls 23 of the housing I8. A spring 24 tends to hold plate 2| in the open, raised position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 2 and in full lines in Figure 3. Normally, the plate 2| closes the recess I3 and covers the actuating means I5 by being held in downwardly extending position against the action of spring 24 by a snap lock or the like 25. The latter has its cooperating parts provided on the lower margins of the plate 2I and lid 5 respectively. Plate 2I constitutes a support for the license plate 26 which is illuminated by a. bulb'2'I arranged in the interior of the housing I8.

The invention is susceptible to adaptations and to modifications of different vehicle designs. For instance, the form and construction of the housing may be changed to suit the arrangement and construction of the lock actuating means. The spring biasing license. plate holder 2| may be omitted or may be substituted by other means, such as ratchets holding the plate in the upright position, or by a spring holding the plate in the open or the closed position upon surpassing an intermediate position. The license plate itself may constitute part of the lid closure or the like covering the receptable for the lock actuating means, and the license plate holder and the lamp illuminating the license plate may be secured to a. margin of the recess other than the upper margin.

While specific protection is sought for the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing and described hereinbefore, protection is sought also for the broader aspects of the invention, as explained by reference to some possible alterations and adaptations.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cover forming part of the outer walls of a motor vehicle and carrying a lock for releasably securing the cover to adjoining parts of the vehicle structure. the arrangement oi manual actuating means for the lock in a compartment provided on the cover and formed at least in part by a license plate carrier, means movably connecting said carrier to the cover, said compartment enclosing and hiding from view said actuating means in one position and exposing to the outside of the vehicle said actuating means in another position of said carrier and a. license plate thereon.

2. In a trunk lid for an automobile body, an outer panel constituting part of the outer body surface, an outwardly open recess formed in said panel at the location of a lock for the lid and: adapted for receiving manual actuating means for the lock, a lamp housing secured to said lid along one margin of said recess, and a support for a license plate hinged to said housing so that a license plate on said support elcflsesgthe` recess, but is removable from the opening of the'l recess for giving access to the lock actuating means.

3. Trunk lid for automobile bodies, comprising'- an outer panel, an outwardly kopen, coxglparte ment on said panel for receiving actu ing means f ably holding it to the lid in 'a position closingsaid compartment while permitting the support,l

with a license plate to be moved into another position giving access toy actuating means in the 20 compartment 4. Trunk lid according to claim 3, comprising a spring engaging said support and said lid and biased for holding said support in the position giving access to the compartment.

HENRY C. FLACKE.

REFERENCES CITEDv The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS lu'xnber'.l ,Name Date 2,035,895 Kelley Mar. 31, 1936 2494,53?, Hacker- Jan. 4, 1938 2,123.6.19Y Kjielian Aug. 30, 1938 2,2!21547 v'Simon May 13, 1941 2,314,326 Cadwallader Mar. 23, 1943 i FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 495,603 Great Britain Nov. 1.6. 1938 

